DISGRACED peer Lord Watson has cost taxpayers almost £10,000 for each time he has spoken in the House of Lords.

DISGRACED peer Lord Watson has cost taxpayers almost £10,000 for each time he has spoken in the House of Lords.

Watson, who was jailed for fire raising in 2005, claimed more than £48,000 in House of Lords attendance allowances and travel expenses in a year.

But, over the past 12 months, he has spoken in just five debates and taken part in only a quarter of votes.

An SNP spokeswoman said: “People will be rightly angry that disgraced politicians can continue to lord it up at public expense.

“This shows exactly why this unelected and expensive retirement home for old politicians should be abolished.”

The Sunday Mail can reveal that, between April 2011 and February 2012, Watson claimed a daily allowance of up to £300 for attending the House of Lords 138 times.

The 63-year-old claimed £40,650 for turning up at the Lords and £7983 in travel expenses. But he spoke in just five debates over the past year – almost £10,000 claimed for each one.

He took part in just 27.5 per cent of votes and only submitted three written questions.

Peter Facey, director of Unlock Democracy, which has campaigned for reform of the Lords, said: “Fundamentally, the same rules which apply to MPs should apply to peers.

“It is unacceptable for a Member of Parliament who has been sentenced to more than 12 months’ imprisonment to retain his seat, let alone continue to claim £300 a day tax free.

“MPs were forced by the electorate to take action on expenses. Immune to public opinion, the House of Lords continues to resist fundamental reform.

“The action by rebel MPs to attempt to wreck the best chance we’ve had in over a century to finally sort this chamber of cronies out is nothing short of disgraceful. It is on them every time a peer continues to claim money for nothing.”

Watson had been Labour MP for Glasgow Central until the seat disappeared under boundary changes in 1997.

He was then made a life peer, taking the title of Lord Watson of Invergowrie. He was also elected as an MSP at the Scottish Parliament in 1999.

But a night out at an awards ceremony ended in shame. He set alight curtains at the Prestonfield House Hotel in Edinburgh following a Politician of the Year bash in 2004.

Watson was so drunk he claimed he had no memory of the incident during the court case in which he pleaded guilty the following year.

He was jailed in 2005 and given an 18-month sentence but was released eight months later.

He was kicked out of the Labour Party and lost his place on the board of Dundee United FC.

Under plans by deputy prime minister Nick Clegg to reform the House of Lords, the number of peers would be slashed by almost half to 450.

And 80 per cent of them would be elected, serving a single 15-year term.

Last week, 91 Tory MPs voted against the reforms, the biggest rebellion against the coalition.

The plans have been put on hold while David Cameron tries to broker a deal between Lib Dem MPs and rebel Conservatives.